Big data is, without a doubt, one of the most buzzed-about phrases in the business sector these days. With the rise of analytics, firms have realized that much of the unstructured and semistructured data they have at their disposal can now be leveraged to gain unique, invaluable insight into their own operations, their customers' wants and needs and industry rivals' strategies.

Thanks to how quickly big data analytics has arrived on the scene, combined with the dramatic benefits conferred by the technology, many companies have rushed to embrace the technology, for fear of being left behind by more sophisticated competitors if they wait too long to hop on the bandwagon.

This is an understandable instinct. After all, failure to leverage big data can undoubtedly undercut a business' ability to compete in challenging markets. But if the technology is adopted too quickly, complications may arise. Most notably, firms may lack sufficient, secure means of moving data through the organization.

This is a major concern. Big data analytics systems can only yield meaningful results if the company is able to make the necessary raw data available on a timely basis. Yet many firms rely on legacy data migration systems that cannot meet this need while still maintaining the integrity of corporate information.

To overcome this issue, companies need to devote significant attention to not just the analytics tools themselves, but also how data is shared and distributed through their firms.

Specifically, organizations should acquire and utilize a dedicated data migration system that can make big data available to necessary personnel at or near real time, no matter how or where it is created or collected.

Additionally, firms need to invest in secure file transfer tools which are specifically designed to ensure the integrity of big data while it is both at rest and in motion. Only then can the firm truly pursue and achieve its big data goals.